May 29, 2015

The Fight Against C-51 Continues: Day of Action Saturday, May 30th

As the Senate in Ottawa gets set to vote on Bill C-51, democratic forces in Canada are organizing for a third cross-Canada day of action to take place Saturday, May 30th. The Senate will resume Third Reading proceedings on Tuesday, June 2nd.

The rallies and marches are demanding the government withdraw/repeal C-51, affirm and uphold the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, honour the treaties with First Nations and the Rights of Indigenous People, honour First Nations’ right to be consulted (section 35), and that the government stop racist legislation and fear mongering.

C-51 has rightly been identified as the most serious attack on democratic rights and civil liberties in Canada since the War Measures Act. The Bill would give sweeping new powers to CSIS, effectively legalizing its role as a secret political police.

Although both the Liberals and Conservatives voted the so-called “Anti-Terrorism” legislation through parliament weeks ago, opposition has continued to grow. Polls have shown that since anti-C-51 actions started in March, support for the bill has significantly declined, with a majority of respondents opposing the Bill by mid-April.

C-51’s long term goal is to build the repressive power of the Canadian state to be used in the interests of corporate power. The short term goals the Harper government has in passing C-51 include using it as a cynical weapon to manufacture fear of terrorism, and to boost support for their imperialist wars abroad.

However, organizing and mobilizing now against the Bill can cause this strategy to backfire. Already mobilizations have led thousands of people to make connections between the attack on democratic rights, issues such as corporate interests vs. the rights of labour & Indigenous peoples, and expanding Canada’s role as an aggressive imperialist military power abroad.

YCL Victoria & YCL Toronto on March 15th Day of Action

Continuing actions for the repeal of C-51 and the expansion of democratic rights into the time of the federal elections in the fall, will not only help to win advances in the area of democratic rights, but will also help bring down the Conservative government in the election. Mobilizing against the Bill is also part of the broader struggle against the repressive capitalist interests that have pushed it on to the Tory agenda. In this sense, the struggle against C-51 is a struggle for fundamental change, which goes well beyond even the next election.

The May 30th day of action was started with a call for a convergence in Ottawa, but it also includes solidarity events in at least 17 other cities.